Victorian parents’ most-asked remote learning questions answered
With countless Victorian kids gearing up to learn remotely, many parents are questioning just how the next term will unfold. Here, Department of Education deputy secretary Dr David Howes answers their most-asked queries.
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With countless Victorian kids preparing to learn remotely for the next few months at least, many parents have been questioning just how the next term will unfold.
Here, the Herald Sun has enlisted Department of Education deputy secretary Dr David Howes to answer readers’ most-asked queries.
Thomas, Year 10
Q How many weeks will we be (remote learning) for?
A For at least this term, then it will be reviewed.
Kate
Q Are schools expecting kids to do as well learning from home as they would in the classroom?
A I think it is expected that it’s going to be a difficult term. Obviously we do want kids to continue learning but schools are going to be pretty flexible.
Cheryl
Q I can’t get anything out of my 17-year-old about how his school is setting up online learning. Where can parents find information about what’s happening?
A Parents will be able to get information from the school. We would really like to see parents help students establish a routine, give them a space to work and offer them encouragement.
Chris
Q How about some guidance for parents whose employer still expects an eight-hour work from home day each day while the school expects us to ‘supervise’ our kids.
A This will be difficult for families to manage and schools recognise that. We are also asking employers to be flexible. This is a whole of community effort that needs to be made.
Kath
Q My worry is for my Grade 6 son who is already behind in reading. I fear he’ll have to repeat, but he’s already repeated a year. What do we do?
A We are really conscious of every student in every year level. The best thing she can do is contact her school. If he was getting extra support this year, we would ask that to continue. It may be that learning progress may need to be adjusted next term to respond to the impact that develops this term.
Nadja
Q How will learning be done for children with additional needs? My child barely looks at the TV or an iPad so how will his learning look? Can he be sent to his specialist school?
A If a child from a specialist school can learn from home, they should learn from home. If a child has particular needs that can only be met at school, the parent should have a discussion with the school and ensure those needs are met. It may be that the child can go in for a day a week or so to get the support they need.
Melissa
Q My daughter is currently doing Year 11 and studying a year 12 subject. Will her year 12 subject score from this year be adjusted as next year’s students, who she will be ranked against, will not be going through the same situation as she is this year?
A There are ways we can identify where students have been disadvantaged and adjustments can be made. But we’ll have to wait and see to determine that. There is an absolute commitment to ensure no student is disadvantaged in this.
Melanie
Q Can I hire a tutor to come into the house and help school my four boys? Is that a legal option with the current restrictions?
A The intention of the social distancing measures is to limit the number of people who come into our houses — that includes a tutor. We need to ensure we support social distancing provisions rather than finding a way around them.
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